Astronomical discoveries over the past three decades have pushed the total number of confirmed planets beyond our solar system past 6,000, according to Spacedaily. Thirty years ago, not a single planet outside our solar system had been confirmed. Today, the tally continues to climb on a weekly basis, fundamentally changing how full the universe appears. … Read more
The high-speed astronomical camera project HiPERCAM has lost its operations grant, forcing a UK-led team to halt routine usage of the instrument, according to University of Sheffield Professor of Astrophysics Vikram Dhillon. Dhillon announced the funding cut on July 21 at the UK’s National Astronomy Meeting (NAM2026), stating that the annual shortfall of roughly £50,000 … Read more
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a high-resolution image of Centaurus A, a galaxy located 11 million light-years from Earth. The observation, marking the fourth anniversary of the telescope’s mission, reveals new details of a galactic merger that occurred 2 billion years ago, including the mechanics of its supermassive black hole and ongoing … Read more
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have identified potential biosignatures on K2-18b, a sub-Neptune exoplanet located 124 light-years away in the constellation Leo. According to findings reported in 2025, the detection of gases including dimethyl sulfide (DMS) suggests the possibility of biological activity, though researchers emphasize that these results remain tentative and require … Read more
Data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) indicates that 55 Cancri e, a super-Earth located 41 light-years away, is likely a hydrogen-rich lava world. According to a study published in Nature Astronomy, the planet’s atmosphere is linked to its molten interior, suggesting that volcanic outgassing plays a primary role in shaping its chemical composition. … Read more
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS formed in a primitive, metal-poor environment approximately 10 to 12 billion years ago, according to research led by Martin Cordiner of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Catholic University of America. Data from the James Webb Space Telescope indicates the object contains a deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio 30 times higher than values measured … Read more
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have identified distinct chemical differences between the dawn and dusk boundaries of the ultra-hot exoplanet WASP-121 b. According to a research news release, these “terminator” zones show uneven atmospheric patterns driven by powerful eastward winds that redistribute heat from the planet’s intense dayside to its cooler nightside. … Read more
New data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) reveals that early massive galaxies “died” by rapidly ejecting their gas through powerful winds triggered by intense star formation. Research published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society indicates that these galaxy-scale winds can exhaust a galaxy’s … Read more
The New Frontier: How “Weather Tracking” on Distant Worlds is Changing Astronomy For decades, exoplanet research felt like looking at a blurry photograph. We knew planets were there, but the details—the weather, the chemical makeup, the daily cycles—remained hidden behind a veil of cosmic distance. That changed the moment the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) … Read more
For decades, the Hubble Space Telescope has served as our window into the deep past of the universe. But as we stand on the precipice of a new era in space exploration, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is preparing to turn that window into a panoramic view. By combining Hubble’s legendary image quality with … Read more